Assam CM wants a ban on PFI; PFI’s links with various violence in the state established in the police investigation

Guwahati: Assam chief minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma reiterated his government's demand to proscribe Popular Front of India (PFI) and Campus Front of India (CFI) immediately. Talking to the media, CM Dr. Sarma said, "We want a ban on PFI and CFI. Assam police has investigated several matters from violent anti-CAA protest to the Gorukhuti eviction violence and found links of the involvement of both the organisations. We have submitted our dossier to the union home ministry and hopefully the ministry will take a decision soon."

Dr. Sarma also stated that enough counselling was done with the minority organisations before the Dhalpur Gorukhuti eviction. But some leaders of the PFI and CFI insight the people during the second phase of eviction and violence took place on 23 September. Later, police investigation revealed that PFI activists were involved in those incidents, the CM stated. He also pointed out that several individual cases were registered against PFI members for their involvement in violent anti-CAA protests, and those are under trial now. CM Sarma mentioned that the eviction process in Gorukhuti is almost done.

Few families are still there in the evicted site, and the district administration is counselling them to vacate the place of their own. The Guwahati High Court has recently passed an order to the state government to evict the encroachment in the Lumding reserve forest. Thousands of migrant Muslims from various districts have encroached almost 4000 acres of land in the reserve forest in the past 15 years.

Dr. Sarma told the media that talks are on with minority organisations to convince the encroachers to vacate the reserve forest peacefully. The minority organisations also agreed that there shouldn't be encroachment in the reserve forest. Already 150 encroaching families have vacated the place after the initiative by the state government, the CM informed. He also mentioned that the government wants a peaceful eviction in the High Court order. If the government is compelled to use force in eviction, the left-liberals will exaggerate the move in front of the world, CM said.